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Discussion (15) ¬

He is slow so occasionally he will be in trouble if a plyer gets behind him but then Vermaelen is often court upfield or diving in so neither is without fault and they are both top top Defenders. I Still feel Kos is our best but we have now got 3 world class CB at arsenal. No player is without shotcomings

He is what I would describe as an intelligent defender, as opposed to a “blood and guts” defender like Vermaelen.

I think his size is what misleads people. Because he’s so tall, every assumes he will be aerially dominant. But he does not have a big leap and it’s usually TV or Koz who deal with most of the aerial stuff when playing alongside him.

But what he does have in abundance is footballing intelligence and sheer class. He is the best reader of the game among all our defenders and is also the best when in possession of the ball. Sure, TV makes some fantastic forward surges, but the BFG exudes composure and calmness in possession and orchestrates our play out of the back.

TV and Koz earn plaudits for some of their great saving tackles. The BFG usually snuffs out a move before it gets to the “last ditch tackle” stage. Not as spectacular, but probably safer.

I have said elsewhere that he is our best footballing CB since David O’Leary and I would have him in my starting 11 most of the time, with Koz or Verm alongside. Obviously with Verm now the captain and therefore a guaranteed starter, it seems more likely that Koz and the BFG will rotate as his wing man instead.

Either way, I would not swap our three CBs with anyone else’s in the EPL. And Djourou as 4th choice is not bad – provided he stays away from the full back position.

I think it would be an awful shame if the BFG gets dropped when our defence is looking so solid. If ever there was an argument for “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” then surely our back four is the proof of it.

Unlike the Rock Star, I was not convinced by the BFG last season, but I am now a convert. Rather than trying to be quick, he just stands his ground, and I now realise that is an art in its own right —- because it works and the ball seems to be attracted to him!! 🙂

Despite his qualities, he will always remain slightly vulnerable to being caught on the turn by quick players. His recovery tackles are good (his legs are as long as most players’ full height) but he was flirting with penalties a couple of times against Liverpool. That one in the box where he just the nicked the ball off Suarez’s toe was a great tackle – but could still have been a pen with the sort of dodgy reffing that we’re used to.